Italian American Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- 3 small red bell peppers (24 ounces; 680g)
- 2 cups grape tomatoes (11 ounces; 312g), halved
- 1 large shallot (2 ounces; 56g), finely chopped
- 1 1/2 tablespoons (23ml) fresh lemon juice (from 1 lemon)
- 1 1/2 tablespoons (23ml) red wine vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons (24g) Diamond Crystal kosher salt, divided; for table salt, use half as much by volume or the same weight
- 1/2 cup (120ml) olive oil, divided
- 4 quarts (3.8L) water
- 1 pound (454g) uncooked conchiglie pasta, medium pasta shells, or orecchiette pasta
- 5 medium cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- 6 ounces (170g) Genoa salami slices, cut into 1/2-inch-thick strips (about 2 cups), divided
- 1/2 cup chopped mild banana pepper rings (3 1/2 ounces; 100g)
- 1/2 cup coarsely chopped pitted kalamata olives (2 3/4 ounces; 78g)
- 2 tablespoons drained non-pareil capers (1 ounce; 27g)
- 1 pound (454g) fresh mozzarella cheese, torn into small bite-size pieces
- 1 cup roughly chopped fresh basil leaves
Description
- Working directly over the flame of a gas burner or under a broiler, cook the red bell peppers, turning occasionally, until deeply charred all over, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a heatproof bowl, cover with plastic, and let stand 5 minutes. Place in a medium bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let stand at room temperature until cool enough to handle, about 15 minutes. Peel charred skin from bell peppers; discard skin and seeds. Slice peppers into 1/4-inch strips.
- In a large bowl, stir together tomatoes, shallot, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, crushed red pepper, and 2 teaspoons (6g) salt. Marinate, uncovered, at room temperature for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally and gently smashing some of the tomatoes using the back of a wooden spoon. Stir in sliced red bell peppers and 1/4 cup of oil; set aside.
